The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is planning to issue a termination letter to Scomi Engineering, the supplier and operator of Mumbai's monorail coaches.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is planning to issue a termination letter to Scomi Engineering, the supplier and operator of Mumbai’s monorail coaches. Simultaneously, the MMRDA is planning to float a tender in the next couple of months for procuring 12 new monorail trains.

Unlike the first time, the contract for the operations and maintenance of new coaches will not be a part of the supply tender. Malaysian rail system manufacturer Scomi built and supplied coaches for the monorail and also continued to operate and maintain them.

Earlier this year, the MMRDA issued a new tender, calling for bidders to take over from Scomi and operate and maintain the monorail. The decision to call for new bidders was due to a number of maintenance-related issues such as frequent break downs, jamming of doors and a major fire that broke out in November 2017 in which two coaches were burned while a station building and platform were damaged.

The total losses incurred were estimated at `33 crore. The monorail has not been operational since the incident.

According to sources, the MMRDA has now planned to issue a tender to procure 12 new monorail trains in the next couple of months. The specifications are being fine-tuned.
Likely bidders for supply of these trains could be global manufacturers such as China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation, BYD, as well as Canada’s Bombardier. MMRDA officials did not respond to calls or messages seeking a comment for this article.

Two months ago, IL&FS Rail emerged as the winning bidder to operate and maintain the monorail, although the MMRDA has not awarded the contract to the company yet due to a difference in the cost quoted by IL&FS. The MMRDA had estimated the O&M cost at `1,000 crore while IL&FS Rail bid `2,000 crore.